Fastener means



p 13, 1966 J. T. COREY 3,271,829

FASTENER MEANS Filed April 15, 1965 INVENTOR. ./'05[/// 7- COKE) A 7 70 ENE) United States Patent 3,271,829 FASTENER MEANS Joseph T. Corey, Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to Sperry Rand Corporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 448,525 2 Claims. (Cl. 24153) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in fasteners and more particularly to fasteners of the type adapted to hold papers or the like on a backing member.

It is usual practice to provide a backing member, as for example, the leaf of a file folder, with a fastener device for detachably holding papers or the like thereon. One type of fastener device commonly used comprises an elongated metallic member having an intermediate portion secured to the folder leaf and from which base portion extend a pair of bendable prong portions. In use of these fasteners the prongs are bent to an upright position at right angles to the base portion and upon which prongs are then impaled the papers to be maintained in the folder. The prongs are then bent down against the surface of the paper to secure the latter to the folder leaf.

Various means have been used in the past to secure fasteners of this type to a file folder leaf or similar backing member. In some instances, the prongs of the fastener are inserted from the rear of the folder leaf through slots provided therein with the base of the fastener exposed on the rear surface of the leaf. In other instances, various means have been provided to embed the base portion of the fastener in the surface of the folder leaf to secure the fastener to the folder. Problems have been encountered in use of these and other known arrangements in that, for example, special forming of the folders is required which results in relatively complex assembly procedures and increases the cost of the folder to the consumer. Further, in those instances where portions of the fasteners are exposed at the exterior of the folders, snagging of adjacent folders in a storage unit such as a tile cabinet draw will often result. In addition, the relative 'bulkiness of the known means for securing the fastener to a folder leaf causes a buildup of folders in a storage unit which decreases the capacity of the storage unit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel fastener device for supporting papers or the like on a backing member.

Another object is to provide a novel fastener device of durable construction and which device is readily mounted on a backing member without special forming of the backing member to receive the fasteners.

Another object is to provide a novel fastener device for a file folder wherein novel means are provided for mounting the fastener device on a leaf of the file folder wherein the fastener is arranged substantially fiat against the surface of the leaf.

A still further object is to provide a novel fastener device which is readily adaptable to automatic mounting on a file folder leaf wherein a savings in manufacturing costs both in labor and material is achieved.

The present invention contemplates a novel fastener device of the type adapted to hold papers or the like on a backing member. According to the present invention the fastener device comprises an elongated strip member and an overlay member. The strip member is placed in a selected position on a marginal portion of the backing member, such as for example, on a leaf of a file folder. The overlay member is disposed over an intermediate portion of the strip and secured to the latter portion and to the backing member by a suitable adhesive. Pairs of spaced arms extend from opposite side edges of the overlay member and between which arms are positioned bendable prong portions of the strip member which are disposed flat against the surface of the backing member and in substantially coplanar relationship with the arms of the overlay member.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows taken together with the accompanying drawing wherein one embodiment is illustrated.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a file folder and shows in exploded relationship the parts of the novel fastener device;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the novel fastener device with the fastener device applied to a leaf of the folder of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of FIG. 2.

Referring now to the drawing for a more detailed description, a novel fastener device made according to the present invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 in FIGS. 1 to 3. A fragmentary portion of a backing member upon which fastener 10 is adapted to be mounted is indicated by the reference numeral 11 in FIG. 1 and which backing member 11 comprises a usual type file folder having leaves 12 and 13 adapted to be folded over along a fold line 14. It is to be understood that fastener device 10 which is to be hereinafter described in detail is readily adaptable for attachment to other backing members of the general type used to hold papers or the like in stacked relationship.

Fastener device 10 (FIG. 1) includes an elongated metallic strip member 16 having an intermediate portion 17 and bendable end or prong portions 18 and 19, respectively. Strip member 16 is disposed on an upper marginal portion of leaf 12 (FIG. 2) of the file folder and lies flat against the surface thereof.

Means are provided to maintain strip member 16 fixed in the selected position on leaf 12 and which means comprise an elongated overlay member 22 formed from a suitable material such as from a paper stock. The outer surface of overlay member 22 (FIG. 3) is preferably provided with a suitable outer plastic lamination 24 preferably of the type plastic commonly known and sold under the trademark Mylar. Overlay member 22 is disposed over intermediate portion 17 of strip 16 and is provided with upper and lower marginal portions 25 and 26 which extend longitudinally of intermediate portion 17 of strip 16. A suitable adhesive substance 27 (FIG. 3) is provided on the underside of overlay 22 to bond the latter to intermediate portion 17 of strip 16 and to bond marginal portions 25 and 26 thereof to the surface of leaf 12 whereby fastener 10 is securely attached on the file folder.

As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 marginal portions 25 and 26 are each provided with laterally extending positioning arms 28 and 29 which extend beyond spaced side edges 30 of overlay member 22 to provide inwardly extending notches 31 and 32 in the perimeter of overlay 22. Prongs 18 and 19 of strip 16 extend outwardly beyond edges 30 and are positioned respectively between adjacent pairs of arms 2829 (FIG. 2) within notches 3132 and lie fiat against the surface of leaf 12 in substantial coplanar relationship with arms 2829.

In accordance with the described arrangement prongs 18 and 19 are adapted to be bent upwardly out of the plane of FIG. 2 at substantial right angles to leaf 12 whereat papers (not shown) may be impaled thereon. Prongs 18 and 19 are then bent back down against the surface of the paper into notches 31-32 to secure the papers to leaf 12. The latter procedure is repeated as required to remove or add papers to fastener 10.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the novel fastener device of the present invention has many advantages in use. One advantage among others is that fastener 10 is readily mounted on a backing member without special forming of the backing member to receive the fastener and no parts of the fastener are exposed at the exterior of the folder. A further advantage is that the spaced pairs of arms 28 and 29 of overlay 22 position and maintain prongs 1849 in predetermined position on leaf 12 and prevent lateral movement of strip 16. Further, the fact that prongs 18 and 19 lie against the surface of leaf 12 in substantial coplanar relationship with arms 28-29 Within notches 31-32 results in a minimum ply thickness of parts which is effective to reduce a buildup of folders in a storage unit. Due to the simplicity and novel arrangement of parts fastener 10 is readily adaptable to automatic assembly procedures for attachment to the file folders or the like.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be expressly understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made in the design and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as the same will now be understood by those skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A device for fastening papers or the like to a backing member, said device comprising (a) an elongated strip member disposed on the backing member and having spaced and parallel longitudinally extending upper and lower straight edges,

(b) said strip member having an intermediate portion and spaced prong end portions extending from said intermediate portion,

(0) an elongated overlay member disposed over the intermediate portion of said strip member with said prong portions projecting beyond the transverse side edges of said overlay member,

(d) said overlay member having spaced and parallel longitudinally extending marginal portions each arranged on the backing member in substantially coplanar relationship with said strip member and each disposed adjacent a said longitudinal straight edge thereof,

(e) adhesive means provided on the underside of said overlay member securing said overlay member to the intermediate portions of the strip member and said marginal portions thereof to the backing member, and

(f) positioning arms on opposite ends of said marginal portions projecting beyond the transverse edges of the overlay member with adjacent arms of said mar ginal portions each positioning therebetween one of said prong portions to prevent transverse movement of said prong portions on said backing member,

(g) said prong portions dis-posed in coplanar relationship with said positioning arms and adapted to be bent toward or away from said backing member.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said overlay member comprises a paper inner surface secured to the backing member and a plastic laminated outer surface bonded to said inner surface.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,744,948 1/1930 Buckland 12925 1,747,246 2/1930 Jonas 24-153 2,329,786 9/1943 Ringler 129-41 3,074,133 1/1963 Jones.

FOREIGN PATENTS 454,380 1913 France.

WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

D. GRIFFIN, Assistant Examiner 

1. A DEVICE FOR FASTENING PAPERS OR THE LIKE TO A BACKING MEMBER, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING (A) AN ELONGATED STRIP MEMBER DISPOSED ON THE BACKING MEMBER AND HAVING SPACED AND PARALLEL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING UPPER AND LOWER STRAIGHT EDGES, (B) SAID STRIP MEMBER HAVING AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION AND SPACED PRONG END PORTIONS EXTENDING FROM SAID INTERMEDIATE PORTION, (C) AN ELONGATED OVERLAY MEMBER DISPOSED OVER THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID STRIP MEMBER WITH SAID PRONG PORTIONS PROJECTING BEYOND THE TRANSVERSE SIDE EDGES OF SAID OVERLAY MEMBER, (D) SAID OVERLAY MEMBER HAVING SPACED AND PARALLEL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING MARGINAL PORTIONS EACH ARRANGED ON THE BACKING MEMBER IN SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID STRIP MEMBER AND EACH DISPOSED ADJACENT A SAID LONGITUDINAL STRAIGHT EDGE THEREOF, (E) ADHESIVE MEANS PROVIDED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID OVERLAY MEMBER SECURING SAID OVERLAY MEMBER TO THE INTERMEDIATE PORTIONS OF THE STRIP MEMBER AND SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS THEREOF TO THE BACKING MEMBER, AND (F) POSITIONING ARMS ON OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS PROJECTING BEYOND THE TRANSVERSE EDGES OF THE OVERLAY MEMBER WITH ADJACENT ARMS OF SAID MARGINAL PORTIONS EACH POSITIONING THEREBETWEEN ONE OF SAID PRONG PORTIONS TO PREVENT TRANSVERSE MOVEMENT OF SAID PRONG PORTIONS ON SAID BACKING MEMBER, (G) SAID PRONG PORTIONS DISPOSED IN COPLANAR RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID POSITIONING ARMS AND ADAPTED TO BE BENT TOWARD OR AWAY FROM SAID BACKING MEMBER. 